Health is a resource for living well in a changing total environment. Unlike disease, which is recognizable, visible, and somewhat easy to define, health is dynamic and harder to measure.
The current COVID-19 pandemic demonstrates the global interconnectedness of health and emphasizes that maintaining good health requires adaptation to life circumstances. This calls for a new definition of health.
Definition
A definition of health is central to understanding the concept and developing strategies for its promotion. There are many different definitions of health, ranging from the simplest to the most complex. A simple definition equates health with the absence of disease or injury. Such a definition leaves the medical profession as the sole authority to declare individuals healthy and ill.
Another simple definition defines health as a state of well being that is not limited to the absence of disease or infirmity. This approach broadened earlier conceptualizations of health by including mental and social dimensions.
The complex interaction of personal and community factors that affect people’s health is known as the social determinants of health. These factors include: general socioeconomic and environmental conditions; living and working conditions; cultural beliefs, values, and traditions; health behaviours; and biological factors (Department of Health 2021). They may be risk or protective factors. Ideally, people should have the opportunity to realize their aspirations and satisfy their needs in healthy environments.
Meaning
Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. The enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health is a fundamental right of all human beings, without distinction of race, religion, political belief, economic or social condition.
Health can be influenced by many factors, both personal and environmental. These are often referred to as health determinants and include things like an individual’s behaviour (e.g. smoking), their own bodily state (including biomedical risk factors) and socioeconomic circumstances (e.g. income, housing and education) (see also Determinants of health).
In addition, the concept of health has a symbolic aspect. For example, the idea of health is embodied in the notion of medicine, and in the way that we view and treat illness. It is also reflected in the value we place on our own health, and on that of others. Values are shaped throughout life, and so changing values is not just a task for the health sector.
Significance
Researchers are increasingly recognizing the need to consider people’s perceptions of health and illness when designing and evaluating healthcare interventions. For example, a woman with Down syndrome who finds meaning in her competitive swimming and part-time job, as well as the social connections she has with family and friends, might be considered healthy, even though her life is impacted by a chronic medical condition.
Some factors that affect health are due to personal choices, such as whether to smoke or engage in unhealthful activities. Others are due to structural causes, such as whether society makes it easier or harder for people to access healthcare.
For example, economic stability affects the ability to afford healthy foods and healthcare services, while education correlates with health literacy and access to jobs that offer benefits that support healthy lifestyles. Environmental influences include the presence of germs and pollution levels. The importance of health in modern digital society is complex, and the way we understand it must continue to evolve.